Review:

on 2011-03-14 CharlesMartel Said:

There are quite a few misconceptions about this album, some of which may have led to it being relatively overlooked. That oversight is a shame because, if nothing else, it shows how people's prejudices can turn them away from something without ever having given any further thought. So let's start this review by dispelling a few of those misconceptions.

First off, the album is not called "Silver". In fact it has no title. It is widely called "Silver", including by members of the band, to distinguish it from the subsequent release, generally called "Gold". The name actually comes from the original cover, which was just a plain silver cover, though later re-releases did have added decoration, such as a stylised aeroplane. Second, this is often regarded as being shoegaze. In truth, while I can see where the tag came from, it is not. Shoegaze, in its original iteration, did not really leave the UK. In the US, the dominant independent musical genre at the time was grunge, and this has all the hallmarks of grunge - quiet-loud-quiet format, heavy distorted guitars. Having said all that, it has a distinctive sound which marks it out from other grunge releases of the same era.

However, the biggest misconception about this album is that it is an album of Christian music. While the members of the band make no secret of their devotion to the religion (Jesus even gets a credit on the album's inner sleeve), you would have to listen pretty hard to find overt, let alone covert expressions of their faith in the album. OK, perhaps they don't follow the stereotypical rock star fascination with drugs, booze, fast cars and faster women, but then neither do quite a few other bands, and their self-imposed abstinence does not get them the same label. In truth, this is an album made by Christians, not a Christian album. I have read the phrase Christian shoegaze used to describe this album which is laughable.

In terms of the music the first thing which stands out is the format of the guitars. The usual format, of which there are many variations, but essentially all following the same pattern, is a rhythm guitar overlaying which at periodic intervals is a lead which is frequently either at a higher volume or brought more to the fore by the production. Starflyer 59 reverse this. The rhythm guitar, heavy and distorted with, at times, an almost metal feel to it, stands out clearly, while the lead is frequently quieter and almost always pushed back into the mix. This has the result of creating a quite distinctive sound which is, at first, rather disconcerting, but the more you listen to it the more it grows on you.

This approach, when it works well, leads to some fine music. "She's the Queen", which was missed off the original album, but appears on this extended reissue, is perhaps the best example, but the opening track, "Blue Collar Love" and "The Dungeon" are also among the highlights of the album. Most of the tracks on the original release follow the same format, with the quieter sections where the lead guitar plays a simple melody before the rhythm guitar kicks in and brings up the volume. That the vocals stay at roughly the same level throughout provides continuity, leaving the guitars to play a more prominent role in developing the overall sound. The bass is largely unobtrusive, which is often a positive, although I have to say that the drumming is somewhat pedestrian and the band would have benefited by a more forceful drummer who was able to add some texture to the sound.

Of the additional tracks on this reissue, the remixes are probably the biggest disappointment. Most of them have resulted in a much more stripped down sound which relies heavily on electronics and effects and makes the tracks bear little resemblance to the originals - it is as if they have been covered by a band in an entirely different genre. This, however, is the only real negative about the whole album. It is well worth giving some decent time to it to gain a better appreciation of it, but it seems that too many people write it off before they even get to that stage on the basis of preconceived notions as to what it will contain.
Rating: 8/10